This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Many men who have a sexually transmitted infection notice nothing at all. Others notice a small change and wonder if it matters. Both situations are common, and both are good reasons to talk with a clinician.

This guide explains what the CDC says about STD symptoms in men, infection by infection. It covers why a throat or rectal test is a separate test, which signs call for same-day care, and where to get an STD test for men in Atlanta, Georgia, for free or at low cost.

A symptom list can only point toward a question. Only a clinician or a lab test can answer it.

How STDs work in the body: why symptoms are unreliable

Most sexually transmitted infections are caused by bacteria, viruses or a parasite. Each one infects particular tissue. Some settle in the urethra, the tube inside the penis. Others affect the skin, the rectum, the throat or the blood.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) note that many infections cause mild symptoms or none. That is why a person can pass an infection on without knowing it. It is also why testing is based on exposure and screening schedules, not only on how someone feels.

Research on screening suggests that infections found early are easier to treat and less likely to lead to complications. So the absence of a symptom is not a reliable sign of anything. Whether to test is a question for a clinician or a testing site.

Signs by infection

The descriptions below follow CDC patient and clinician materials. A sign that matches one of them does not mean a person has that infection. Many different conditions can cause similar changes.

Chlamydia

The CDC says chlamydia often causes no symptoms. When symptoms do occur in men, they can include discharge from the penis, burning during urination, and pain or swelling in one or both testicles.

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. It is curable with treatment prescribed by a clinician.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea can also cause no symptoms. The CDC lists possible signs in men as a burning feeling when urinating, a white, yellow or green discharge from the penis, and sometimes painful or swollen testicles.

The CDC also notes that gonorrhea can infect the rectum and the throat. Rectal infection may cause discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding or pain during bowel movements. Throat infection often causes no symptoms.

Gonorrhea is curable with treatment from a clinician. The CDC also tracks antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, which is one reason a clinician chooses treatment, not the patient.

Syphilis

Syphilis moves through stages. The CDC describes the first stage as one or more sores, often firm, round and painless. The sore can appear on the penis, in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. Because it does not hurt, it can go unnoticed.

The secondary stage can bring a rash, often on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, along with fever, swollen glands, sore throat or patchy hair loss. These signs can fade without treatment while the infection continues.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection and is curable with treatment from a clinician. The CDC says untreated syphilis can damage the heart, brain and other organs over time.

Genital herpes

The CDC says most people with genital herpes have mild symptoms or none. When signs appear, they can include blisters or sores on or near the penis, buttocks, anus or thighs, sometimes with tingling, itching or flu-like feelings during a first outbreak.

Herpes is not curable, but it is manageable. A clinician can prescribe medicine that shortens outbreaks and lowers the chance of passing it on.

HPV and genital warts

The CDC says most HPV infections cause no symptoms and often clear on their own. Some types cause genital warts, which look like small bumps or clusters of bumps. Other types can lead to cancers over many years.

The CDC states there is no approved HPV test for men to check for the virus in general. Warts can be treated by a clinician, and HPV vaccination is a topic to raise with a clinician as well.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite. The CDC says most men with it have no symptoms. Some notice itching or irritation inside the penis, burning after urinating or ejaculating, or a discharge.

It is curable with treatment from a clinician.

HIV

Some people have a flu-like illness, with fever, sore throat, rash or swollen glands, within two to four weeks after HIV infection, according to the CDC. Many people have no symptoms for years.

HIV is not curable, but it is treatable. The CDC says treatment can keep the amount of virus in the blood very low, which supports long-term health and prevents sexual transmission.

The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. The USPSTF also recommends HIV screening for adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65.

Quick comparison

Infection	Possible signs in men (CDC)	Often no symptoms?	Curable?
Chlamydia	Discharge, burning with urination, testicular pain or swelling	Yes	Yes, with clinician treatment
Gonorrhea	Discharge, burning with urination, testicular pain; rectal or throat symptoms	Yes	Yes, with clinician treatment
Syphilis	Painless sore, later a rash on palms or soles	Can be unnoticed	Yes, with clinician treatment
Genital herpes	Blisters or sores, tingling	Yes	No, manageable
HPV	Genital warts, or nothing	Yes	No, often clears on its own; warts can be treated
Trichomoniasis	Itching inside the penis, discharge, burning	Yes	Yes, with clinician treatment
HIV	Flu-like illness early on, or nothing	Yes	No, treatable

Why throat and rectal testing are separate

A standard urine test for men checks for infection in the urethra. It does not sample the throat or the rectum. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can live in those places without infecting the urethra at all.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) therefore recommend testing at each site of sexual contact. For throat and rectal sites, that means a swab collected from that site. Some clinics let a person collect the rectal swab privately.

This matters because infections at these sites often have no symptoms. A urine result can be negative while a swab from another site would give a different answer. Research on screening suggests that site-specific testing finds infections that urine testing alone misses.

Tell the clinician which kinds of sex you have had. You do not need to explain more than that. Clinicians are trained to ask these questions without judgment, and the answer decides which tests make sense.

When to get tested: what the CDC recommends

The CDC does not tie testing only to symptoms. Its 2021 guidelines recommend that sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men get screened at least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV, at every site of contact. For people at higher risk, the CDC recommends screening more often, every 3 to 6 months.

Other reasons to talk with a clinician about testing include:

A new sexual partner, or more than one partner
A partner who tells you they have been diagnosed with an STI
Any new sore, bump, rash, discharge or burning
Starting or continuing PrEP, since the CDC pairs PrEP care with regular STI and HIV testing
A condom that broke or slipped

The CDC also says that people treated for an STI should usually be retested about three months later, because repeat infection is common. A clinician can give personal advice on timing.

Window periods

A window period is the time after exposure when a test may not yet detect an infection. The CDC gives these ranges for HIV tests:

A lab-based antigen/antibody blood test can detect HIV about 18 to 45 days after exposure.
A rapid antigen/antibody test from a finger stick can take 18 to 90 days.
Antibody-only rapid tests and self-tests can take 23 to 90 days.

For other infections, ask the clinician how soon after an exposure a test is useful. No test is perfect, and a clinician may suggest testing again later.

When to see a clinician the same day

Some changes should not wait for a routine appointment. Seek same-day care, through a clinic that offers it, urgent care or an emergency department, for:

Sudden, severe pain or swelling in a testicle. This can have causes unrelated to an STI, and some need emergency treatment.
Fever together with testicular pain, pelvic pain or pain in the lower belly
Painful or difficult urination that is getting worse quickly
Eye redness or pain, changes in vision or hearing, or a new rash alongside a sore. The CDC notes that syphilis can affect the eyes and ears.
A known exposure to HIV within the past few days. A clinician can say whether post-exposure medicine makes sense, and the CDC says it works best when started as soon as possible.

For bacterial STIs, the CDC says a clinician may also discuss doxycycline taken after sex (doxy-PEP) for some men who have sex with men and some transgender women with a recent bacterial STI. The CDC's 2024 guidance says a clinician decides if it fits and gives the prescription and timing.

Where to test in Atlanta

Atlanta is mostly in Fulton County, with part in DeKalb County. The Fulton County Board of Health runs sexual health clinics, and DeKalb Public Health serves the DeKalb portion of the city. Community clinics also test.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that Fulton County had 10,599 chlamydia cases in 2023, a rate of 978.7 per 100,000 people (Georgia DPH OASIS). The CDC's 2023 state tables put Georgia's chlamydia rate at 646.4 per 100,000. For gonorrhea, Georgia DPH OASIS shows 569.4 per 100,000 in Fulton County in 2023. These figures reflect reported cases, which depend partly on how much testing takes place.

For a fuller local list with costs, see our guide to STD testing in Atlanta, where to get tested and what it costs.

AID Atlanta Wellness Center

AID Atlanta says it offers free HIV tests and free STI screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis on site, and free treatment for reactive screening results. Its HIV testing uses either a 4th generation blood test or an INSTI rapid test.

Address: 1438 W Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 870-7741 for STI testing; (404) 870-7700 for general questions
Testing hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with last check-in at 5:30
Walk-ins: AID Atlanta says walk-ins are welcome and no appointment is necessary
Details: aidatlanta.org/testing

Fulton County Board of Health clinics

The Fulton County Board of Health says STI screening and treatment are offered at several health centers. Its Sexual Health page says that people without insurance are charged fees on a sliding scale. The Board's pages do not list specific prices, so call ahead to ask.

The Board says its sexual health clinics serve Fulton County residents ages 14 and up. It also says services may be walk-in or by appointment only, and that appointments are recommended.

10 Park Place Health Center: 10 Park Place S.E., 5th floor, Atlanta, GA 30303; (770) 520-7500. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Board lists 3:00 p.m. as the last walk-in appointment. It lists STI testing and treatment, HIV testing, PrEP and doxy-PEP.
Adamsville Regional Health Center: 3700 MLK Jr. Drive S.W., Atlanta, GA 30331; (770) 520-7323. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It lists STI testing and treatment, HIV testing and PrEP. The Board does not say whether walk-ins are accepted at this site, so call first.
Neighborhood Union Health Center: 186 Sunset Avenue N.W., Atlanta, GA 30314; (770) 520-7351. It lists STI screening and treatment and PrEP. The Board's pages give different hours for this site, so confirm by phone before going.

For PrEP questions, the Board lists a PrEP clinic line at 404-613-4708.

Planned Parenthood East Atlanta Health Center

This center, at 440 Moreland Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, lists STD testing and treatment, HIV testing and PrEP. Phone: 404-688-9300.

The center's page says insurance is not required and that it accepts cash and major cards. It does not state a sliding scale or list prices, so ask about cost when you call. Its page lists walk-ins as welcome but says only appointments guarantee service. Its listed hours were Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so confirm current hours before you go.

Testing at home for HIV

The CDC's HIV testing page links to Together TakeMeHome, a national program that offers free HIV self-tests ordered online. Georgia DPH also lists an at-home HIV self-test available by online request. Its page does not state the cost or who qualifies, so check the details when you request one.

To search for other sites by ZIP code, the CDC runs a locator at gettested.cdc.gov. The Georgia AIDS and STI InfoLine, listed by Georgia DPH, is 1-800-551-2728.

Privacy, age and reporting in Georgia

Georgia law, under O.C.G.A. 31-17-7, says a minor who has or believes they have a venereal disease may consent to treatment, without a parent's or guardian's consent. The statute defines venereal disease as syphilis, gonorrhea and chancroid. The Guttmacher Institute summarizes Georgia as allowing minors to consent to STI testing and treatment more broadly. It also notes that providers may, but do not have to, tell a parent. Anyone under 18 should ask the clinic how it handles this.

The Fulton County Board of Health's Teen Health Clinic serves ages 12 to 21 at 3700 MLK Jr. Drive S.W. and lists STI exams and HIV counseling and testing. It says fees are based on income and family size and that no teen is turned away for inability to pay. Call (770) 520-7323 for details.

Georgia DPH says all physicians, laboratories and other health care providers must report notifiable conditions. For example, syphilis is reported immediately, and chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV are reported within seven days. This reporting goes to public health and is how the state tracks infections and connects people to services.

Georgia also has a law on HIV, O.C.G.A. 16-5-60, that makes it a felony for a person living with HIV to knowingly have sex with intent to transmit HIV without disclosing, when there is a significant risk of transmission. The CDC lists Georgia among states that have modernized or repealed HIV criminal laws since 2014. Anyone with questions about how this applies to them can ask a clinic or legal aid organization.

What happens at an appointment

A visit usually starts with a few questions about symptoms, partners and the kinds of sex you have had. The clinician then decides which tests fit. These can include a urine sample, a blood draw, and swabs from the throat or rectum if those sites were involved.

If a test finds a bacterial infection or trichomoniasis, a clinician prescribes treatment, and these infections are curable. If a test finds herpes, HPV or HIV, a clinician talks through treatment and management, because those are treatable or manageable but not curable.

The CDC advises that partners of a person with an STI may need testing and treatment too. Georgia's Department of Public Health says expedited partner therapy services can be located through local public health departments. A clinician can explain what is available.

Key points

Many STDs in men cause no symptoms, so symptoms alone are an unreliable guide.
Throat and rectal infections need swabs from those sites. A urine test does not check them.
The CDC recommends regular screening for sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, at least yearly and more often for higher risk.
Sudden severe testicular pain, fever with pain, or eye and vision changes call for same-day care.
Atlanta has free and low-cost options, including AID Atlanta and Fulton County Board of Health clinics. Call ahead to confirm hours and cost.

STD Symptoms in Men: Signs, When to Test and Where in Atlanta